Dt 26:4-10 / Rom 10:8-13 / Lk 4:1-13
A man was just coming out of anesthesia after major surgery. His eyes fluttered open, he looked at his wife and murmured, “You’re wonderful!” and then went back to sleep. A while later, his eyes opened again, just a little. He gazed briefly at his wife and whispered, “You’re beautiful!” Finally, after many hours, he opened his eyes wide, looked at his wife and said off-handedly, “Oh, hello.”
“What happened to ‘wonderful’ and ‘beautiful’?” she asked.
“Oh,” said he, “the anesthetic wore off.”
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Things change! Our “Yes” becomes “No.” Our “Absolutely” becomes “Maybe.” Our “Forever” becomes “For a while,” often with chilling speed. Restlessness and all manner of fears too often cause us to walk away from the only things that can make life worth living: wholehearted love commitments, in which we give ourselves and hold nothing back.
A good life is full of these love commitments in every shape and size. Without them we wither and die. And yet, so often we hesitate, keeping our eye out for a better offer. Too often our commitments are just temporary parking spots instead of permanent homes.
Jesus faced this very temptation at the beginning of His ministry. After a long period of soul-searching, He’d finally gotten clear about His life’s work. His vocation was to be a brother to us, to walk with us, to help us grow whole and find our way home, and to stick with us even if we ignored Him.
No sooner had He said “Yes” to that call from God than He was faced with a whole array of glamorous alternatives: Fame, fortune, and power — lots of it. But He didn’t waver for a moment because He’d given His heart, and He couldn’t take it back. And there we have the roots of real faithfulness that can survive all manner of storm and famine: The gift of the heart which can’t and won’t be taken back.
If we hope ever to grow whole or to find the peace and the communion that we long for, we have to give our hearts wholeheartedly to another and to the Lord and not pull back. Making that kind of commitment and sticking with it through hard times is no easy task. But it can happen. We can become faithful people who are true to our commitments in good times and bad, because our brother Jesus has given us Himself as our power source, and He won’t pull back.
Listen to Him, in your heart. Let Him tell you how deep and lasting is His commitment to you. Let His love for you empower you to be wholehearted and faithful in every corner of your life.
Listen to Him, in your heart. You’ll be amazed at what you hear! It will change your life.
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